WASHINGTON — Connecticut armories supplied 43 percent of all rifles and revolvers used by Union forces in the Civil War, not to mention the gunpowder, swords, bayonets and artillery shells churned out by the state’s 19th Century industrial base.

One-hundred and fifty years later, Connecticut again is facing off against Southern states in an economic battle for the jobs of the future.

Welcome to a new war between the states.

In this war, the weapons are wages and tax rates, advanced degrees and STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education, and new technologies for fuel cells, genomic medicine and digital media.

More Information

Connecticut vs. Alabama

Connecticut ranks no 5. in K-12 school spending at $16,631 per pupil.

Alabama ranks No. 39 with $8,755 per pupil.

In Connecticut, 16.6 percent of employees hold advanced or professional degrees.

In Alabama, 8.2 percent of the population has advanced or professional degrees.

In Connecticut, the median hourly wage for manufacturing in 2014 was $18.13, with annual mean earnings at $41,190.

In Alabama, the median hourly wage for manufacturing in 2014 was $14.30, with annual mean earnings of $33,820.

Riding on the outcome are thousands of jobs, to say nothing of bragging rights.